Shabby Victorian Christmas Journal

No, seriously. Learning how to make these handmade journals has become a full time obsession for weeks now. But doing it has added a texture to my world that feels like somebody put a blanket on my soul.

And it’s been so needed this past couple of weeks.

I’ve invited more than a couple of other women over to my house for craft therapy since the election, too. We’ve done some mixed media stuff together and generally just taken a break from the havoc of all that’s going on in the world. It’s really beneficial sometimes to just take a step back and focus on something simple. It’s so meditative and cleansing.

I’m also encouraging everyone I interact with right now to take out whatever art supplies they have and just create. It helps almost immediately. People tell me they can feel their blood pressure coming down, and I believe them. It’s got to be a lot like watching fish, right?

I guess that’s partly why I’ve chosen to make handmade journals – or journaling kits, to be accurate. I hope to share the relaxing benefits of crafting with as many other people as I can. These journals are meant to encourage creativity while providing an enticing place to scratch notes and stash mementos – a craft project that can be bought as a gift and given to anyone who needs to put a little bit of texture back into their life.

I’ll have the Christmas journaling kit as well as a couple of other designs available at the Winter Sale at the Art Center, and I’ll be posting updates here and here as I finalize them.